Morning Detention
by Ruriko
Summary: Draco is having difficulties with his life and all his problems bring him to Hermione where he begins to notice her. R&R! one long chapter up!


Morning Detention by Ruriko

The alarm blared moments after Draco Malfoy got out of bed, still grumbling as he eyed the soft green glow on the bed stand table that read 6:30 AM.  'Damn old professor McGonagall' he thought as he scrubbed his face with cold water until red marks stained his usual pale face.  Already in a bitter mood to serve morning detention, he stamped his way down to the McGonagall's office, tearing his robe in the process.

Just as he was about to push the great oak door, someone pushed it for him and within seconds, the professor was towering over him, her nostrils flaring.  "You're late." She stated as she crossed her arms.    

"Yeah, sorry" he mumbled just as the Gryffindor head pushed her way through and motioned for him to follow.  Once he jerked his leg out of the ripped piece of cloth, he slouched and walked after her.  He hardly walked down the hall when Professor McGonagall pushed open a door to reveal a dusty old trophy room that will serve as a study room for only the most exceptional students.   "You will begin your duty by cleaning up this room and making sure that it is up to par with Filch's standards. Understand?" She looked at Draco over her glasses and nodded when she received no answer.  "The supplies are by the corner and Filch will come and relieve you of your duty at 8." She took the silence as acceptance and swiftly walked back toward her office.  

Draco cursed as he looked over the dusty old room.  It was quite small but it had a large amount of dust and grime.  The cabinet at the far end of the room revealed Quidditch trophies from at least two decades ago.  Tall gold trophies from school competitions lined the first two rows of shelves and badges and clips were fastened on the Styrofoam.  Draco ran a finger across the glass and cursed once more when he realized that he had to do this cleaning the muggle way.  

How dare McGonagall make him, a Malfoy, to do low muggle stuff, cleaning, without using magic? To do this the muggle way? The thought disgusted him, as he walked over and looked into the bin and saw a bucket, pieces of cloth, and a bottle containing some abrasive.  How dare his father consent to this type of punishment! How dare Professor Snape when he did nothing to change the punishment! 

Grabbing the piece of cloth, Draco slapped it against the cabinet, and smeared it across until no dirt was visible to the eye.  Cursing and muttering a bit while repeating this cleaning technique, he found that he finished this faster.  When the clacking of shoes was heard, Draco stopped and was glad when old Filch's cat stepped in.  Filch appeared seconds later and hardly said anything before Draco was gone in a flash.

He ran to the Slytherian common room, arms itching from the harsh abrasive.  The room was filled with all the slytherians but not of Crabbe and Goyle.  'Where the hell are those two oafs?" he muttered when he saw them saunter in.  "You idiot!" snapped Draco when they were at arms length.  "Why didn't u two show up? You wanted me to do all that muggle cleaning myself?" he emphasized the word muggle and shoved his reddening arm under Crabbe's face.  "Look what you did, huh!" Anger was boiling and Draco's face was reddening with the arm.  He continued to spat some more but was abruptly stopped when Goyle grunted that it was time to eat and pushed past Malfoy.  Crabbe followed suit leaving a fuming blond at the foot of the door.

His day didn't get any better when he entered the great hall for breakfast.  He had forgotten that today was when Gryffindor was celebrating their win over Hufflepuff at the last Quidditch match.  The room was covered in scarlet and praises and shouts were all dedicated to that retched seeker – _Potter.  Draco marched over and chose an isolated seat.  Course he wouldn't want HufflePuff to win since then it would put them in second place, but to see Gryffindor win, that was worse than imagined since that placed the next match – Gryffindor vs. Slytherian.  The loud flapping of wings diverted his attention to the flood of owls coming in from the open windows.  A letter dropped on his lap, and he tore it open.  In it, he read in a computed handwriting –_

Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy,

In behalf of your father, this message has bent sent to

Let you know that the rest of your fund is now placed in my 

Care.  Due to some poor investments and the Bad publicity on 

Your father, your funds have decreased by 20 galleons.

Please do not worry, as we will do our best to restore it back.

- J. SMithe

Draco crumpled up the letter and threw it with a flick of his hand.  I knew better than to let that thing known as father takes care of my riches. Now I'm going end up being poor like all those mud bloods! Now I need to depend on some guy named Smithe? What kind of name is that? He better restore my money or else…

The rest of the day passed by slowly for Malfoy since all his classes was shared with the Gryffindor three.  Four hours shared with the over-rated trio, the brave Potter…the aggravating Weasley, and the know- it -all Granger! Obnoxious comments were thrown his way and Malfoy was in no mood to deal with him.  His cold stare stopped most of them, but the look of Granger every time she answered a question was about to throw him over.  Potter and Weasley ignored him after giving him an hour of hard time with comments, whispers, and glares.  

Looking up from the notes he had been taking, he felt someone staring at him. He turned and there you go, he saw Granger's brown piercing eyes.  He stopped breathing; her eyes looked so…lively.  But before he can stop himself, "What are you looking at, you mud blood!" he spat. Moments after, he heard frantic movements and Ron shouting, "WHAT? HE CALLED U A WHAT?!" 

Head already throbbing he knocked over the purple potion on his way out of class.  He barely reached the common room when he emerged in a world of blackness.  

Plummeting…falling down an endless tunnel…

That was how Draco felt before he collapsed on the stony hall.  It was dark and eerily quiet when this Slytherian woke up in a room with many beds – the nurse's office.  He placed his hand up against his forehead and moaned in agony when a new wave of pain hit him.  Layers of bandages were wrapped around his forehead messing up his usual slicked back hair, but he could still feel the pain.  Clattering was heard outside and Draco assumed that it was Madam Promfrey bustling in and out of the rooms.

"You're up now. You feel any better?"

No, can't be…that voice… Draco turned around and stared right into the eyes of Hermione Granger.  "What are you doing here?" he tried to snarl despite his pain.  He eyed Granger through his cold stare hoping she wouldn't be too dumb to catch his implication that he wanted to be alone.  "You should be nicer and thank the person that just saved your life." She replied back with a hint of attitude, the same as Malfoy's. 

"Well, no one told you to save me" anger rising in his voice.

"Well, excuse me! I probably wouldn't have if this is the type of gratitude I end up getting! God, you're impossible Malfoy! You're…"

"Oh! And you're not?! You're this stupid know it all who rubs everything in people's faces! Thinking you know better than everyone else!!" Draco just exploded, screaming out all his emotions.   "WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE?" he cried with the last bit of strength he had in him before he collapsed on the bed once more.

Tear stricken, Hermione grabbed her belongings off the chair and ran down the deserted corridor to the Gryffindor common room, where she pushed her way to her room. 

"Where's Hermione?" asked Harry, finishing the last of his chocolate frogs from the dinner table.

"Hm…I'm not really sure" Ron replied in between smacking the last of the food off his fingers.  "Haven't seen her since Herbology but I guess you should ask Patty Parvail…she always know where she is…"

"Oy! I know where she is" replied Neville.  "I saw her in the common room before, looks quite sad if I do say so." 

"Thanks, Neville." Harry grabbed Ron by his robes prying him away from all the platters of food.  

As they neared the common room, sniffles and cries were heard but it was in the direction of Merle's haunted bathroom.  "Ah…of all the places to be" muttered Ron. 

Harry pushed open the door to reveal a crack.  "Hermione?" 

"She's self-loathing!" laughed Merle, appearing in and out of the walls.  "And I thought I had problems…ha-ha."

Harry ran and pushed open a stall to reveal pink faced – puffy eyes Hermione.  "Are you okay? What happened?" 

Nodding her head side to side, she murmured that she was okay, raising to leave.  "D-Do you guys think I'm a know it all bitch?" she asked, hand shaking.

"No! Course not." declared Ron.

"- but remember first year Ron? That's why you didn't like me is it?!" she slumped on the wall and a fresh wave of tears hit her.  "Is that what everyone thinks about me?" she shouted. 

Ron pulled Harry aside, awkward at the situation.  "Why is she asking all this? She was fine before she went to the nurse's and saw..."

"DRACO." 

"Did Draco do something to you?" they both questioned anxiously.  "If he did he'll bloody pay and…"

"Alright boy, you're ready to go" said Madam Promfrey while she re- applied the bandages.  "Careful not to harm your hands again" was her reminder regarding his morning detention.  Once Draco left the room, Crabbe and Goyle who were waiting for him greeted him.

"Did I miss anything while I was in there?" he asked with a nod of his head.  

"You missed a great deal Hun." Pansy Parkinson jumped on Draco and landed a quick peck staining his pale cheek.

"Oh yeah?" he raised his eyebrow.  "Like what?"

"Hermione Granger crying!!!" Pansy doubled over with laughter while a look of regret passed over Malfoy's face. 

'Why?" he asked.

"Who cares!" answered Pansy in delight.  "Whoever made her cry should be **so** proud of themselves!" 

Draco was quiet among the other Slytherians at the common room. He couldn't help feeling bad about screaming at her.  'But why should I feel this way?' he questioned himself. After all, she was a mud blood, and he was a Malfoy!  His quietness was quickly noticed by Pansy who was still talking about Hermione and having a time of her life.   

"Why are you so quiet?" snarled Pansy.  "Don't tell me _you feel bad for her!"_

"Why the hell would I?" he fired back. "Night."

"Ohh! The great Malfoy has a thing for Granger! I bet he likes her and…"

Draco stomped up the stairs, anger rising once again.  Pansy may be his girlfriend but she was just…**too much sometimes.  "The perfect ending to a sucky day…" he muttered as he pulled the covers over himself. **

The time slowly passed as Malfoy kept on staring at the digits turn in his clock. Unable to sleep, he got up and put on his green robe with no clue where to go.  His feet seemed to know where to go because in a matter of moments, he found himself in front of the old trophy room.  

'What am I doing here' he thought. 'Of all the places to be, I'm here in the last place that I should be in.' He pushed open the door with his finger and saw that a candle was already lighted in the far end.  

"Hello?" he whispered, hoping with all of his heart that it wasn't Filch or McGonagall. 

"Malfoy?" came the slight answer.  The hidden person stepped out to reveal Hermione Granger, clad in her robe holding a big dusty book. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing" came the blunt reply.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm reading.  You??" 

"Couldn't sleep…" he mumbled.

"And you come here?" she questioned.  "How did you even know about this place?"

"Detention. Uh…Hermione…about before…" There was an awkward silence before he continued, and his face was growing flushed by the minute. "I'm s-sorry about what I said and uh…thanks for sending me to Promfrey's."

Hermione looked Draco up and down making him ten times more nervous before she smiled and said No problem. 

'You look pretty when you sleep' he thought not realizing he had just said his thought out loud.

"Thanks" came the low reply and Malfoy was shocked to see a blush appear on her cheeks.

"I'm going to go now" she said as she walked by Draco, who faintly smelled different sweet scents.

Once she left, Malfoy slumped against the nearest wall.  Many thoughts were coming from his already confused head.  "This is the worst day of my life so far and it seems okay now….and why am I noticing all this stuff about her?!" he said to the empty room.

Notes – Wow! This is one long section! I hope this fic is pretty good so far because I like writing this one. Anyway, just a couple of reminders that all the students are like 15 – 16 now and their hormones are raging. o_O I'm not sure if I mixed up the Pansy name or not, but I think Patty Paravail was the one that was Hermione's friend, and Pansy was the Slytherian. More chapters to come soon, and read and review please! 


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